Hey there! If you‘re researching graphics cards, you may be considering the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650. This budget-friendly GPU was released back in 2019 aimed at 1080p gaming. Now in 2023 though, it has developed some well-known drawbacks.
In this post, I‘ll walk you through the 5 biggest complaints people have about the GTX 1650. I‘ve packed in plenty of benchmark data, expert analysis, and my own insights for you. Let‘s dive in!
1. The GTX 1650‘s Performance Leaves a Lot to Be Desired
The most common grievance you‘ll hear is that the GTX 1650 simply lacks power – especially compared to other options in its price range.
The GTX 1650 uses Nvidia‘s older Turing architecture with 896 CUDA cores and 4GB of GDDR5 video memory. Here‘s how it stacks up on benchmarks for some popular games at 1080p:
| Game Title | GTX 1650 Avg FPS |
|---|---|
| Fortnite | 71 FPS |
| GTA V | 55 FPS |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 38 FPS |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 24 FPS |
As you can see, while the GTX 1650 is okay for e-sports and older games, the latest AAA titles struggle.
But here‘s the kicker – the AMD Radeon RX 570 from 2017 consistently beats the GTX 1650‘s performance by 10-15% in many titles while costing about the same price. The RX 570 came out two years before the GTX 1650 too!
Many reviewers felt Nvidia should have offered better performance at this price point with a newer generation card. If you‘re hoping for high frame rates on newer games, the GTX 1650 will leave you wanting more.
2. The Small 4GB VRAM Capacity Causes Problems
Another frequent complaint is the GTX 1650‘s limited 4GB of VRAM (video memory).
VRAM stores all the textures, lighting, and graphical effects that you see rendered on screen. Here‘s how VRAM usage has grown over the years for games at 1080p resolution:
| Year | Average VRAM Used |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 3GB |
| 2019 | 4GB |
| 2021 | 6GB |
| 2023 | 8-12GB |
As you can see, the VRAM demands of games have rapidly shot up over the past few years. Modern titles now recommend 8GB or more for the best visual quality.
The GTX 1650‘s 4GB capacity really limits its ability to handle 1440p or 4K gaming. Even at 1080p, lack of VRAM can cause stuttering, textures popping in slowly, and FPS drops. It also reduces the card‘s longevity when future games require more VRAM.
3. Lack of Ray Tracing Means Missing Out on Cutting-Edge Graphics
The GTX 1650 lacks dedicated hardware to accelerate ray tracing, a key visual feature added in Nvidia‘s RTX cards.
Ray tracing renders realistic real-time lighting, reflections, and shadows to make game environments truly life-like. Here‘s an example in Control with RTX on:
(Source: AMD)
While ray tracing was just taking off in 2019, many more games support it now. Without RT cores, the GTX 1650 misses out on these cutting-edge graphics. Competing cards like the GTX 1660 Super do support ray tracing for a similar price.
Lacking future-proof ray tracing puts the GTX 1650 at a disadvantage in modern games where this tech shines. If immersive graphics are important to you, it‘s a missing feature worth considering.
4. Power Requirements Vary Unexpectedly Between Models
Nvidia designed the GTX 1650 to sip just 75 watts of power, allowing it to pull all its juice right from a PCIe slot. But here‘s the catch – some third party versions require extra power connectors.
For example, the Asus Dual EVO OC model needs a 6-pin connector, while the MSI Ventus XS model only uses PCIe slot power.
This inconsistency means you can‘t rely on the GTX 1650 working in any PC case without double checking. Needing to accommodate extra power cables complicates your build. Plus it defeats the intended benefit of the card‘s low power draw.
5. The GTX 1650‘s Pricing Just Isn‘t Very Competitive Anymore
When it launched at $149, the GTX 1650 offered decent 1080p speeds for the money. But here in 2023, you can often find superior graphics cards priced similarly:
| Card | Average Price | Performance vs. GTX 1650 |
|---|---|---|
| GTX 1660 | $175 | +15% |
| RX 6500 XT | $130 | +10% |
Given the performance limitations covered already, most experts agree the GTX 1650 is no longer a competitive value for under $200 cards. The pricing remains higher than its capabilities justify.
So in summary, the 5 big complaints around the Nvidia GTX 1650 all revolve around:
- Mediocre speeds and power for a 2019 card
- Only 4GB VRAM limits performance
- Lack of ray tracing feels outdated now
- Inconsistent power requirements between models
- Pricing not competitive in 2023 compared to alternatives
For me, the low VRAM and lack of ray tracing are the biggest drawbacks for future-proofing.
The GTX 1650 itself isn‘t a badly designed card – it still meets minimum specs for 1080p gaming on a tight budget. However, even an extra $20-30 can get you noticeably better speeds and graphics capabilities from other modern budget cards like the RX 6500 XT or GTX 1660.
I hope this overview has helped explain the key drawbacks and criticisms around the Nvidia GTX 1650 in 2023. Let me know if you have any other questions!